Demona witnesses the presentation of Simba, comes face to face with Scar again, and deals with the challenge of being a caretaker to a mischievous cub.

It was the big day for the presentation, for the royal family was up at the crack of dawn. Demona stood some ways away, but with enough eye view to watch.

Animals of all kinds gathered around, elephants, birds, Giraffes, etc. she even once thought she saw a meerkat and a warthog down there.

Rafiki arrived after Zazu made his entrance, climbing up Pride Rock where Mufasa sat, the two friends hugging one another. Demona smiled slightly, deep down she did miss being able to give Goliath a hug like that. But maybe, she can begin anew here in the Pridelands.

Rafiki came up to Sarabi who was curled around Simba. Demona sat down with her, since now she had been getting a bit close to the little one.

The monkey broke a fruit, dipping his finger into it and putting some paint on the small cub's forehead to symbolize his royalty, along with a sprinkle of dust. Then Simba did the cutest baby sneeze Demona had ever seen.

Rafiki took Simba in his arms, taking him over to the edge of Pride Rock, Mufasa, Zazu, Sarabi and Demona following. He held the young one aloft, and the animals began cheering. Demona saw a flash of sunlight shining down on Simba from the clouds, a fresh breeze blowing around her. It sent a small wave of peace in her heart, closing her eyes, missing the obvious moment that a certain warthog let loose a pretty big one in the crowd, making it look like the animals were bowing.

She opened her eyes to see the elephants and giraffes bowing, pretty surprised at seeing animals doing this. Zazu smiled up at Mufasa.

"Oh, look sire! How they kneel before the royal son!" He exclaimed happily. Mufasa nodded.

Eventually it was over, and the animals departed in different directions, Sarabi taking her son from Rafiki as they all went back inside. Demona now felt like she could take care of Simba. She was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes. It only made sense now.

"Mufasa, I thought about your offer to look after the little one, and I think I'm ready to accept that responsibility," she told him. Mufasa's eyes shone with gratitude and happiness.

"Thank you, Demona. It means a lot to us, but tell me, where did you live before you found us? Was it a Pride?"

Demona flinched before shaking her head. "We didn't exactly call it a Pride, it was a Clan. I am no longer welcome there and I don't want to explain why right now," she said in a bitter voice. Mufasa then nodded, not wanting to push her.

"It would seem though that a certain someone didn't come for his nephew's ceremony. Zazu, can you go check on him, and tell him I'm on my way?" He asked the hornbill.

"Of course, your majesty," Zazu said, flying away. Demona decided to follow while Mufasa went first to check on Sarabi, to make sure that little messenger bird didn't get chewed up by the most violent male in the group.

Crouching behind a rock, she spotted Zazu approaching Scar, about to eat a mouse.

"Didn't your mother tell you not to play with your food?" Zazu asked hotly. Scar huffed, rolling his eyes and sounding like a spoiled child.

"What do you want?" He said in an annoyed tone, making Demona roll her own eyes. There were times when Scar would try flirting, but the gargess wouldn't let this scarred lion have any way with her, no sir! All she would do was say leave her alone, and he did, some of the time.

"I am here to announce that king Mufasa is on his way, so you'd better have an excuse for missing the ceremony this morning," Zazu said, and Demona spotted the little mouse escaping Scar's paws into a hole. Scar glared. "Now look, Zazu, you made me loose my lunch."

Zazu smirked. "Hah! You'll lose more than that when the king is through with you! He's as mad as a hippo with a hernia!"

That was when Scar had a pretty scary smile on his face, one he surprised Demona with once not in a good way, having a small flashback of that day.

...

"Hello, my dear," purred Scar, coming up to Demona who was lying in the shade. She jumped, fur bushed out, and glared at Scar.

"Don't do that!" She hissed. "I was trying to sleep!" Scar simply sat down, having that old flirtatious smile on his face.

"I apologize. But I came with an invitation, would you like to hunt with me, Demona? The weather is quite lovely, and I would love company," he said, eyeing Demona's body with a strange hunger in his eyes. Demona backed up, still glaring.

"I know what you want, Scar, you don't just want to hunt. Leave me be, I told you I'm not interested!" She snapped. Scar gave her a cold stare.

"One day you'll want to hunt with me, Demona, it is only a matter of time," Scar said, turning to walk away. Demona swished her tail. She hated Scar for trying to do this to her.

...

She blinked, hearing Zazu scream, and Demona's eyes widened at the sight of Scar about to eat Zazu. Demona growled, jumping from her hiding place and tackling him.

Zazu whimpered, seeing his savior pinning Scar to the floor.

"Leave the bird alone!" Demona demanded, Scar growling and fighting to throw her off.

"He was provoking me!" He said back. Demona shook her head. "That's no excuse!" But then she cried out as Scar gained the upper hand, pinning her below him now.

"If you weren't defending the bird, I say this is a pretty interesting situation," sneered Scar, and Demona gave a snarl, trying to get out from under him, Zazu crying out at them to stop.

"SCAR!" Shouted a welcoming voice, Mufasa. Demona felt relief flood her. Mufasa used his paw to shove Scar away, the gargess getting shakily to her feet. His brother glowered back.

"This isn't the way we treat our guest!" Mufasa snapped furiously. Scar's face then changed to a smile, Demona moving back away from him.

"Well, if it isn't my big brother who has come on down from up high to be a hero for the commoners!" He taunted. Mufasa narrowed his eyes.

"Sarabi and I didn't see you at the presentation of Simba," he said in an angry voice. Scar moved towards the cave wall. "That was today? Oh, I feel simply awful!" He said in a sarcastic tone, scratching his claws down the rock, and Demona gritted her teeth from the noise of it.

"Must've slipped my mind."

Zazu glared. "Yeah, well, as slippery as your mind is as the king's brother, you should've been first in line!" Scar snapped his teeth, making Zazu fly behind Mufasa. "I was first in line, until that little hairball was born!" He hissed. Demona hissed back.

"Watch it, I'm Simba's caretaker now, and you'd better treat him like a proper Uncle!" She demanded. Mufasa nodded.

"And he is your future King!" He added. Scar put up a false polite act. "Oh, then I should practice my curtesy!" He began to walk away.

"Don't turn your back on me, Scar!" Mufasa growled.

"Oh, no, Mufasa. Perhaps you shouldn't turn your back on me!" Scar said in a challenging way, causing Mufasa to roar, blocking Scar's exit.

"Is that a challenge?!" He roared dangerously. But Scar didn't even flinch.

"Temper, temper. I wouldn't dream of challenging you!" He said in his sarcastic tone. But Demona didn't believe him.

Zazu glared. "Pity, why not?"

Scar grinned. "As far as brains go, I got the lion's share, but when it comes to brute strength, oh I'm afraid I'm in the shallow end of the gene pool." He then went off on his way.

Mufasa glanced at Demona. "Did he do anything to you?" He asked in concern, but the gargess shook her head. "Only pinned me and a light scratch," she said.

Zazu gave her a grateful look. "I must have to thank you, miss, I would've been Scar's lunch if you hadn't been there!" Demona nodded in his direction. "There's one in every family, sire, two in mine, actually. And they always manage to ruin special occasions," Zazu added in, landing on Mufasa's shoulder.

Mufasa sighed. "What am I going to do with him?" He muttered. Demona swished her tail. "I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt me," she grumbled, but Demona wouldn't put it past him to try and...well...do something to her.

Zazu suddenly smirked. "He'd make a pretty handsome throw rug," He suggested. Mufasa grinned back playfully.

"Zazu!"

The hornbill flew into the air while the two lions left, as well.

"And just think, whenever he gets dirty you can take him out and beat him!" This, for some reason, caused Demona to chuckle again. This bird occasionally had a sleeve of puns up it.

A whole three months flew by, Simba getting bigger and bigger until he is able to walk on his own and talk. Demona was sleeping among the Pride until she heard Simba calling for his dad, right before sun up, causing her to groan and put her paws over her ears. She loved Simba, but sometimes he could be a pest.

Mufasa and Sarabi both woke, but Demona kept her eyes closed, feeling Simba now crawling over her.

"Demona! Demona! Dad's gonna show me the kingdom today! Can you come?" Simba begged, even using his little teeth to tug on her ears. She yelped, glaring, but not in a mean way.

"Not if you bite my ears!" She snapped. Simba cowered. "I'm sorry!" He whimpered. Demona gave a small purr, licking him on the head. "It's hard to stay mad at you, little one. I'll come, up anyway." Simba cheered, bouncing around her, and she followed the father and son out.

She sat behind them on top of Pride Rock, a spectacular view of the Pridelands during the sunrise. Mufasa explained to Simba at how he was gonna be the next king. Demona could see the young one's eyes light up with excitement.

Next they went on a patrol of the territory, Zazu meeting up with them for the Morning Report. Demona was unsure of how this whole 'Circle of Life' and bodies becoming the grass deal, but went along with it.

Zazu gave the Morning Report which only sounded like animal puns to the gargess. Rolling her eyes, she spotted Simba trying to pounce on a cricket.

"What are you up to?"

"Trying to pounce," Simba grumbled in a grumpy voice, seeing that he hadn't been able to catch it again. Demona after her paw had healed had been given hunting lessons from Mufasa, the first lesson was about how to pounce since she felt rather clumsy pouncing as a lion. And that is what she would do.

She eyed Zazu, smirking. The perfect test subject. "Let an expert show you how," she invited. Simba gasped, and he nodded.

"Mufasa, can you ask Zazu to turn around?" Demona asked innocently. Mufasa raised his brow until he got the message, and Zazu did so reluctantly, Mufasa watching the pair.

"Stay low to the ground, and downwind," Demona instructed, and Simba did so, while Mufasa distracted Zazu.

Zazu glanced about nervously. "What are you telling him, Demona?" But there was nobody there, not even Mufasa. "Uh, Demona? Simba? Mufasa?" He whimpered, before yelping in surprise as Simba did a successful pounce, the two older lions laughing.

Demona smiled proudly. "Good job, young one," she praised, with Simba ducking his head shyly. Zazu suddenly appeared from behind the rock, his face terrified.

"Sire! Hyenas, in the Pridelands!" He shouted in a panicked voice. Mufasa narrowed his eyes.

"Zazu, Demona, take Simba home," he said. Demona nodded. She wanted to go and claw those dogs, but Simba's safety came first.

"Aw, dad, can't I come?" Simba begged. But Mufasa shook his head. "No, son." He went off after that.

Simba frowned. "I never get to go anywhere," he muttered. Demona put a paw around him.

"Your dad trusted me to look after you, and I don't want you running after danger," she said. Simba looked up at her sadly but then nuzzled her leg before reluctantly heading back with Demona, Zazu talking.

"Oh, young master, one day you will be king! Then you can chase those slobbery mangy stupid poachers from dawn until dusk!" Demona smirked. "Well worded, Zazu," she complimented.

Yeah, I know, quick ending. Next time: Demona follows Simba and Nala to the Elephant Graveyard and gets to have a little revenge on the hyenas.